Situation in Georgia (Telephone Conference between G-7 Political Directors)

August 25, 2008

For about an hour from 21:30 on August 25 (Japan Time), a telephone conference was held between G-7 Political Directors by the initiative of the U.S. to discuss the situation in Georgia, in which the following points were discussed:

(1) Importance of the territorial integrity of Georgia

(2) Importance of diplomatic efforts including France's arbitration and the drafting process to adopt UN Security Council Resolution

(3) Importance of the complete fulfilling of the six-principle ceasefire agreement by Russia

(4) Importance of early dispatch of an OSCE monitoring mission

Mr. Kenichiro Sasae, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japanese representative, stated the following:

Japan has supported consistently a peaceful resolution of the issue based on Georgia's territorial integrity. It is important that the six-principle ceasefire agreement arbitrated by France should be fulfilled definitely. Japan will continue to exercise diplomatic efforts so that the commitments for the six-principle ceasefire agreement be fulfilled completely.

(END)